The Nigerian last week army rescued hundreds of women and children from the dreaded Sambisa Forest and were released on Sunday to authorities at a refugee camp in Yola, to be fed and treated for injuries.
Two hundred and seventy-five women and children, arrived at the camp with either head or limb injuries – Some of them who spoke to reporters on Sunday in Yola, Adamawa state, told Reuters of how Boko Haram fighters killed older boys and men in front of their families before taking women and children into the forest where many died of hunger and disease – One woman said:
“They didn’t allow us to move an inch, “If you needed the toilet, they followed you. We were kept in one place. We were under bondage.“We thank God to be alive today. We thank the Nigerian army for saving our lives.”
On when the soldiers arrived the forest, Umaru, a 24 year-old mother of two said:
“When we saw the soldiers we raised our hands and shouted for help. Boko Haram who were guarding us started stoning us so we would follow them to another hideout, but we refused because we were sure the soldiers would rescue us.”
She added:
“Every day we witnessed the death of one of us and waited for our turn.”
Cecilia Abel, whose husband and first son were killed right before her own eyes, before her and her remaining eight children were forced into the forest, said:
“We were fed only ground dry maize in the afternoons. It was not good for human consumption,” she said. “Many of us that were captured died in Sambisa Forest. Even after our rescue about 10 died on our way to this place.”
Why did the soldiers and government waste so much time before getting into the forest???
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